Our planet’s biodiversity is under threat and ironically, we humans are the main offenders - the same species that depend the most on it, is behind the destruction. Slowing down biodiversity loss is perhaps one of humanity’s greatest challenges today.

The age of our planet is estimated to be 4.5 billion years, of which human beings have only existed for 200,000 years, i.e., for not even 0.5 per cent of the time and yet compared to any other species, we have had a far greater impact on our planet’s health.

In recent years, the human population has grown exponentially, yet the landmass available to us remains the same.

By some estimates in the last 50 years itself, our species population has doubled. The growing number of humans has led to a growing demand for resources, which has led to overexploitation of the earth’s natural resources. Our demands have mostly been achieved at the expense of forests, wetlands &amp; marine ecosystems worldwide.

Numerous forests have been levelled to accommodate our species’ growing population, disrupting ecosystems, and causing tremendous loss to biodiversity.

One of the primary demands, food, is behind the largest negative impact. To meet the growing demands, agricultural expansion happened, terrestrial land use was changed. &nbsp;Almost 50 per cent of the global land area is used for agriculture, causing an estimated 80 per cent extinction threat to animal and bird species.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of The United Nations, agriculture accounts for up to 80 per cent of global deforestation and is the number one cause of deforestation. But, the loss of forests happens for many purposes:

To clear space for the production of crops like wheat, maize etc.

To create a grazing pasture for animals reared to fulfil the rising demand for meat.

For logging purposes, i.e., to meet the demand for wooden products like furniture or the production of charcoal.

Forests are also cleared up for mining, as most of the precious resources like Oil, gold, diamond, copper etc are found in and around forests. Not only that, but the chemicals used in the mining process also degrade the quality of soil and ends up in water bodies, polluting them and harming the riverine ecosystems.

Forest fires. According to experts, climate change &amp; deforestation are drying out forests, making them more vulnerable to fires.

Unsustainable human activities like these are continuously degrading and destroying forests worldwide. According to World Resources Institute data, we have witnessed the loss of almost ten per cent of tree cover since the beginning of this century. In the year 2020 itself, we lost 4.2 million hectares of forest cover, i.e., area equal to the size of Netherlands, a twelve per cent jump from 2019.

By relentlessly exploiting the earth’s natural resources, we have not only wiped out forest cover globally but also choked our water bodies and in doing so we have driven many species of flora and fauna towards extinction. Excessive use of pesticides in food production, oil spills etc has not only led to soil depletion but the runoff of these artificial fertilisers from the fields has also polluted water bodies causing excessive growth of algae leading to fatal effects on aquatic life forms.

Today, with about 60 per cent of the world's major marine ecosystems being exploited unsustainably, it is estimated by the year 2100 more than half of the world's marine life forms may face extinction.

A United Nations report from 2019 suggests that an average of almost 25 per cent or around one million species from the animal &amp; plant kingdom face an extinction threat, many within decades if nothing is done to reduce the biodiversity loss.

It’s a vicious cycle, human population growth leads to a decrease in per capita income growth, which tends to lead to an increase in poverty, which is in turn linked to Poaching.

Humans have led many a glorious species to their end, one of the most shameful examples of which is the Dodo bird. A flightless bird native to Mauritius, it was discovered in 1592, and within merely seventy years it went extinct.

Another example is the Tasmanian devil, a species made popular by the cartoon Looney Toons. But do you know, due to hunting and human encroachment the species went extinct in 1936? Now, the only reminder of this large marsupial can be found in a children’s animated cartoon. &nbsp;

Illegal poaching has brought all kinds of precious wildlife to the brink of extinction. Some examples are Pangolins, Rhinoceroses, Tigers, Hawksbills turtles and many more.

Try and comprehend this, all this damage was done merely out of greed.

Rapid population growth also causes intangible damage like Climate change, which is yet another important factor behind the deteriorating biodiversity &amp; ecosystems. 
By the end of this century, World temperatures are expected to rise by 3° to 8°C, which will have a devastating impact on the planet.

Experts warn that decades of unsustainable human activities are bringing the Amazon forest a.k.a. lungs of our earth to near a tipping point. This forest’s canopy cover plays a major role in regulating the global climate, with a carbon sink capacity of around 90-140 billion metric tons. With the current deforestation trends, the release of even the smallest portion can lead to an acceleration in global warming.

Biodiversity loss also has a direct bearing on the rise of zoonotic diseases, studies suggest that around 60 per cent of the emerging diseases in humans are a result of pathogen spillovers from animals to humans.

It is important to remember that biodiversity is an important part of this planet, without which there is no future for humanity. While no one wants to imagine this planet without all the thousands of amazing life forms that make up our ecosystems, mass extinction is a very real threat. Only through sustainable living, sustainable development and sustainable population growth can we combat this threat and save our planet.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.”

Our planet’s biodiversity is under threat and ironically, we humans are the main offenders - the same species that depend the most on it, is behind the destruction.

Our planet’s biodiversity is under threat and ironically, we humans are the main offenders - the same species that depend the most on it, is behind the destruction. Slowing down biodiversity loss is perhaps one of humanity’s greatest challenges today. The age of our planet is estimated to be 4.5 billion years, of which human beings have only existed for 200,000 years, i.e., for not even 0.5 per cent of the time and yet compared to any other species, we have had a far greater impact on our planet’s health. In recent years, the human population has grown exponentially, yet the landmass available to us remains the same. By some estimates in the last 50 years itself, our species population has doubled. The growing number of humans has led to a growing demand for resources, which has led to overexploitation of the earth’s natural resources. Our demands have mostly been achieved at the expense of forests, wetlands & marine ecosystems worldwide. Numerous forests have been levelled to accommodate our species’ growing population, disrupting ecosystems, and causing tremendous loss to biodiversity. One of the primary demands, food, is behind the largest negative impact. To meet the growing demands, agricultural expansion happened, terrestrial land use was changed. Almost 50 per cent of the global land area is used for agriculture, causing an estimated 80 per cent extinction threat to animal and bird species. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of The United Nations, agriculture accounts for up to 80 per cent of global deforestation and is the number one cause of deforestation. But, the loss of forests happens for many purposes: To clear space for the production of crops like wheat, maize etc. To create a grazing pasture for animals reared to fulfil the rising demand for meat. For logging purposes, i.e., to meet the demand for wooden products like furniture or the production of charcoal. Forests are also cleared up for mining, as most of the precious resources like Oil, gold, diamond, copper etc are found in and around forests. Not only that, but the chemicals used in the mining process also degrade the quality of soil and ends up in water bodies, polluting them and harming the riverine ecosystems. Forest fires. According to experts, climate change & deforestation are drying out forests, making them more vulnerable to fires. Unsustainable human activities like these are continuously degrading and destroying forests worldwide. According to World Resources Institute data, we have witnessed the loss of almost ten per cent of tree cover since the beginning of this century. In the year 2020 itself, we lost 4.2 million hectares of forest cover, i.e., area equal to the size of Netherlands, a twelve per cent jump from 2019. By relentlessly exploiting the earth’s natural resources, we have not only wiped out forest cover globally but also choked our water bodies and in doing so we have driven many species of flora and fauna towards extinction. Excessive use of pesticides in food production, oil spills etc has not only led to soil depletion but the runoff of these artificial fertilisers from the fields has also polluted water bodies causing excessive growth of algae leading to fatal effects on aquatic life forms. Today, with about 60 per cent of the world's major marine ecosystems being exploited unsustainably, it is estimated by the year 2100 more than half of the world's marine life forms may face extinction. A United Nations report from 2019 suggests that an average of almost 25 per cent or around one million species from the animal & plant kingdom face an extinction threat, many within decades if nothing is done to reduce the biodiversity loss. It’s a vicious cycle, human population growth leads to a decrease in per capita income growth, which tends to lead to an increase in poverty, which is in turn linked to Poaching. Humans have led many a glorious species to their end, one of the most shameful examples of which is the Dodo bird. A flightless bird native to Mauritius, it was discovered in 1592, and within merely seventy years it went extinct. Another example is the Tasmanian devil, a species made popular by the cartoon Looney Toons. But do you know, due to hunting and human encroachment the species went extinct in 1936? Now, the only reminder of this large marsupial can be found in a children’s animated cartoon. Illegal poaching has brought all kinds of precious wildlife to the brink of extinction. Some examples are Pangolins, Rhinoceroses, Tigers, Hawksbills turtles and many more. Try and comprehend this, all this damage was done merely out of greed. Rapid population growth also causes intangible damage like Climate change, which is yet another important factor behind the deteriorating biodiversity & ecosystems. By the end of this century, World temperatures are expected to rise by 3° to 8°C, which will have a devastating impact on the planet. Experts warn that decades of unsustainable human activities are bringing the Amazon forest a.k.a. lungs of our earth to near a tipping point. This forest’s canopy cover plays a major role in regulating the global climate, with a carbon sink capacity of around 90-140 billion metric tons. With the current deforestation trends, the release of even the smallest portion can lead to an acceleration in global warming. Biodiversity loss also has a direct bearing on the rise of zoonotic diseases, studies suggest that around 60 per cent of the emerging diseases in humans are a result of pathogen spillovers from animals to humans. It is important to remember that biodiversity is an important part of this planet, without which there is no future for humanity. While no one wants to imagine this planet without all the thousands of amazing life forms that make up our ecosystems, mass extinction is a very real threat. Only through sustainable living, sustainable development and sustainable population growth can we combat this threat and save our planet. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.”

Overpopulation and human greed, the two enemies of biodiversity

Do you think 2020 is the peak of dystopia? Buckle up, because things may just go worse at any moment, or a few decades, at least!

The planet is facing&nbsp;a lot of crises - for starters, climate change is causing unpredictable weather changes across the globe, setting off unprecedented&nbsp;extreme events, like unstoppable fires in Australia and the US, the mind boggling levels of pollution in India, and the record deforestation and fires in the Amazon - the planet’s lungs!&nbsp;

Resource depletion

Owing to a combination of natural factors and human action, natural resources may be depleted to a point of no return, and the resources available at hand may not be enough to sustain the entire planet’s population in the coming decades.

Reported first by VICE, two theoretical physicists have concluded that human society as we know it is set on a self-destruct path within the next two to four decades.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/climate-crisis-could-displace-12-billion-people-by-2050-report-warns-326608" hreflang="en">Climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050, report warns</a>

The researchers come from Chile and the UK, and published their findings in Nature Scientific. To ascertain the probable time for social collapse, they employed statistical modelling to understand how growing human population and depletion of resources will bring only bad news to society in general.

This is what the authors wrote in the study’s abstract - "Based on the current resource consumption rates and best estimate of technological rate growth our study shows that we have very low probability, less than 10 percent in most optimistic estimate, to survive without facing a catastrophic collapse”.&nbsp;

Deforestation, and what it means for us

The primary cause of this downfall, according to them, would be due to deforestation. Climate crisis is increasing sea levels, causing bizarre weather, flooding, natural calamities. But the authors took into account deforestation primarily, because it is simply more measurable.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/our-planet-is-dying-soon-meet-indias-youngest-climate-change-activist-330891" hreflang="en">'Our planet is dying soon': Meet India's youngest climate change activist</a>

Based on the current rate of deforestation, all forests would be gone from the face of the planet in 100-200 years. Think this a long time? You’re wrong. We’re already feeling the effects of large-scale irresponsible deforestation, and scientists believe its signs and symptoms will become more apparent over time, that the collapse would not be a one-off event.

Due to rampant depletion in resources, we could lose basic support systems required for survival including oxygen production, conservation of soil, and regulation of water cycle, among many!

We’ve already gone from 60 million square kilometres of forests to 40 million square kilometres. In essence, no forests - no humans!

Do you think 2020 is the peak of dystopia? Buckle up, because things may just go worse at any moment, or a few decades, at least! The planet is facing a lot of crises - for starters, climate change is causing unpredictable weather changes across the globe, setting off unprecedented extreme events, like unstoppable fires in Australia and the US, the mind boggling levels of pollution in India, and the record deforestation and fires in the Amazon - the planet’s lungs!

Do you think 2020 is the peak of dystopia? Buckle up, because things may just go worse at any moment, or a few decades, at least! The planet is facing a lot of crises - for starters, climate change is causing unpredictable weather changes across the globe, setting off unprecedented extreme events, like unstoppable fires in Australia and the US, the mind boggling levels of pollution in India, and the record deforestation and fires in the Amazon - the planet’s lungs! Resource depletion Owing to a combination of natural factors and human action, natural resources may be depleted to a point of no return, and the resources available at hand may not be enough to sustain the entire planet’s population in the coming decades. Reported first by VICE, two theoretical physicists have concluded that human society as we know it is set on a self-destruct path within the next two to four decades. Also read: Climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050, report warns The researchers come from Chile and the UK, and published their findings in Nature Scientific. To ascertain the probable time for social collapse, they employed statistical modelling to understand how growing human population and depletion of resources will bring only bad news to society in general. This is what the authors wrote in the study’s abstract - "Based on the current resource consumption rates and best estimate of technological rate growth our study shows that we have very low probability, less than 10 percent in most optimistic estimate, to survive without facing a catastrophic collapse”. Deforestation, and what it means for us The primary cause of this downfall, according to them, would be due to deforestation. Climate crisis is increasing sea levels, causing bizarre weather, flooding, natural calamities. But the authors took into account deforestation primarily, because it is simply more measurable. Also read: 'Our planet is dying soon': Meet India's youngest climate change activist Based on the current rate of deforestation, all forests would be gone from the face of the planet in 100-200 years. Think this a long time? You’re wrong. We’re already feeling the effects of large-scale irresponsible deforestation, and scientists believe its signs and symptoms will become more apparent over time, that the collapse would not be a one-off event. Due to rampant depletion in resources, we could lose basic support systems required for survival including oxygen production, conservation of soil, and regulation of water cycle, among many! We’ve already gone from 60 million square kilometres of forests to 40 million square kilometres. In essence, no forests - no humans!

Human society has 90% chance of collapsing in the next few decades. But why?

We have an alarming problem! Not the ongoing coronavirus pandemic or the political upheavals across the globe, but the increasingly dying populations of bees.

Due to the disappearing numbers of bees, crop yields for apples, cherries, and blueberries across the US has crumbled. And this is not just a US-phenomenon, but is pan-Earth.

The end?

It has been long believed that if bees disappear, humans will too. Many scientists have vouched for the scientific truth in this claim.&nbsp;Without honeybees and wild bees, most of the world’s crops will suffer and face major declines.

What sounds like a passing issue right now could trigger a food crisis across the globe, unless we artificially pollinate the crops.

<h6><img alt="This picture taken on November 13, 2019 shows bees on a piece of honeycomb with honey at Chinese farmer Ma Gongzuo's apiary in Songyang county in China's Zhejiang province. Once a modest beekeeper, Ma Gongzuo has been driving a BMW since he started selling his honey using a technique increasingly popular with Chinese farmers: video clips that show the origins of his product and open a window onto rural life. The videos let increasingly discerning Chinese consumers see how the honey is made and have helped farmers like Ma out of poverty, which the ruling Communist party hopes to eradicate by 2020." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ddf0c56f-bf59-4e3e-986b-0d628bab219e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_126.jpg" /> 
This picture taken on November 13, 2019 shows bees on a piece of honeycomb with honey at Chinese farmer Ma Gongzuo's apiary in Songyang county in China's Zhejiang province. Once a modest beekeeper, Ma Gongzuo has been driving a BMW since he started selling his honey using a technique increasingly popular with Chinese farmers: video clips that show the origins of his product and open a window onto rural life. | AFP</h6>

World Economic Forum spoke to Rachael Winfree, a professor in the ecology, evolution, and natural resources department of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at the Rutgers University-New Brunswich, and the senior author of the study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Winfree said the following - “We found that many crops are pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. We also found that honey bees and wild bees provided similar amounts of pollination overall” .

Losses in bound

Without pollination undertaken by wild insects, many crops will lose essential micronutrients, and will cause shortages of food.&nbsp;In the US alone, crops that depend on natural pollinators generate over $50 billion a year.

Winfree also suggested improving and creating habitats for native bee species everywhere. “Managing habitat for native bee species and/or stocking more honey bees would boost pollination levels and could increase crop production,” Winfree added.

Recent evidence suggests that European honey bees and native wild bee species are on the decline.&nbsp;Scientists ascertained this after collecting data from 131 farms across the US, British Columbia, and Canada. They took into account the yield for apples, blueberries, cherries, tart cherries, almonds, watermelons, and pumpkins.

Apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and blueberries showed signs of limited pollination, suggesting that the crop generation is lower than ideal.

“Our findings show that pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields for most of the crops studied,” the study says.

We have an alarming problem! Not the ongoing coronavirus pandemic or the political upheavals across the globe, but the increasingly dying populations of bees. Due to the disappearing numbers of bees, crop yields for apples, cherries, and blueberries across the US has crumbled.

We have an alarming problem! Not the ongoing coronavirus pandemic or the political upheavals across the globe, but the increasingly dying populations of bees. Due to the disappearing numbers of bees, crop yields for apples, cherries, and blueberries across the US has crumbled. And this is not just a US-phenomenon, but is pan-Earth. The end? It has been long believed that if bees disappear, humans will too. Many scientists have vouched for the scientific truth in this claim. Without honeybees and wild bees, most of the world’s crops will suffer and face major declines. What sounds like a passing issue right now could trigger a food crisis across the globe, unless we artificially pollinate the crops. This picture taken on November 13, 2019 shows bees on a piece of honeycomb with honey at Chinese farmer Ma Gongzuo's apiary in Songyang county in China's Zhejiang province. Once a modest beekeeper, Ma Gongzuo has been driving a BMW since he started selling his honey using a technique increasingly popular with Chinese farmers: video clips that show the origins of his product and open a window onto rural life. | AFP World Economic Forum spoke to Rachael Winfree, a professor in the ecology, evolution, and natural resources department of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at the Rutgers University-New Brunswich, and the senior author of the study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Winfree said the following - “We found that many crops are pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. We also found that honey bees and wild bees provided similar amounts of pollination overall” . Losses in bound Without pollination undertaken by wild insects, many crops will lose essential micronutrients, and will cause shortages of food. In the US alone, crops that depend on natural pollinators generate over $50 billion a year. Winfree also suggested improving and creating habitats for native bee species everywhere. “Managing habitat for native bee species and/or stocking more honey bees would boost pollination levels and could increase crop production,” Winfree added. Recent evidence suggests that European honey bees and native wild bee species are on the decline. Scientists ascertained this after collecting data from 131 farms across the US, British Columbia, and Canada. They took into account the yield for apples, blueberries, cherries, tart cherries, almonds, watermelons, and pumpkins. Apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries, and blueberries showed signs of limited pollination, suggesting that the crop generation is lower than ideal. “Our findings show that pollinator declines could translate directly into decreased yields for most of the crops studied,” the study says.

Bee populations are declining drastically: Find out how this phenomenon can wreak havoc globally

In an unexpected turn of events, Norway has recently claimed that its new huge oil facility is good for the environment.

The Johan Sverdrup field was opened by the Norwegian prime minister last week. The authorities claim that the facility will ''reduce emissions'' as it&nbsp;operates solely on renewable energy.

"Johan Sverdrup is now open. That's good news for our investors, for Norway,&nbsp;and for emissions," announced Equinor, the state company with jurisdiction over the field.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-caused-15-disasters-costing-over-1-billion-this-year-sources-270576">Climate change caused 15 disasters costing over $1 billion this year</a>

Many critics, however, perceive the third-largest oil field in Norway as a signifier of the country's hypocrisy when it comes to climate change.&nbsp;

The expansive field is situated 140 kilometres away from the coast and was named after the country's first prime minister.

The fields boasts 2.7 billion barrels of oil, which could last for over half a century, and could bring more than $100m into the country.

CNN reported that the operation runs on hydroelectric power, generated from the ocean. This is a first, for most oil fields employ diesel generators to fulfill their needs.&nbsp;

Norway has been at the helm of positive climate change. It was not only the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement, but has continuously reinstated its faith in achieving the climate-neutral status by 2030.

<h6><img alt="iiii" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01f0fec4-f6b5-4457-99b9-5a45ce19043e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_56.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;A worker at an&nbsp;oil&nbsp;field owned by Bashneft, Bashkortostan, Russia, January 28, 2015 | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

The country also offers electric cars at a subsidised rate, with a fully enforced ban on deforestation.&nbsp;

"Norway has a schizophrenic relationship with climate and oil and gas," Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen, CEO of the Norwegian Climate Foundation think tank, told CNN.

Besides all this action to battle and limit climate change, Norway continues to be a major fossil fuel producer. Pumping out over two million barrels of oil a day, Norway is Europes's second-biggest producer after Russia, as per the figures provided by the International Energy Agency.

&nbsp;Norway's natural gas production is also way more than any other European country.

"We are great at adopting ambitious emission targets, but at the same time we plan for oil and gas production for decades to come", Michelsen added in conversation with CNN.

Over the last few decades, Norway has invested heavily in renewable energy, especially hydropower. Much of its clean energy is used to sustain the country, while pollution-causing oil and gas are sold to foreign players.

The parent company of the field is hell-bent on asserting the efficiency of the field. "Average CO2 emissions from international fields are 25 times higher, (with) 18 kg CO2 emitted per barrel produced versus 0.67 kg CO2 emitted per barrel produced from Sverdrup," Equinor spokesperson Morten Eek told CNN.

<h6><img alt="iii" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bef3dfc-a3ac-4fcd-aec3-afa1156efb25" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_49.jpg" /> 
Image:&nbsp;Climate change activists take part in a demonstration of the Fridays for Future movement in Lausanne, Switzerland January 17, 2020 | Reuters&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</h6>

However, Michelsen told CNN that this is barely sufficient in the longer run. He said that emissions from production account for only five per cent of global oil emissions.&nbsp;

"The big problem is the combustion, in sectors like transport and industry," he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/denmark-sweden-norway-are-worlds-best-countries-to-raise-children-india-bags-59th-spot-275134">Denmark, Sweden, Norway are world's best countries to raise children; India bags 59th spot</a>

For a better understanding, emissions within Norway accounted for 53 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2017, while emissions caused by Norwegian oil and gas exports caused 470 million tonnes of emissions, as per data in the United Nations' Emission Gap Report.

Besides planning to become climate neutral by 2030, Norway also intends to become a low-emission society by 2050. Almost 30 per cent reduction in emissions can be expected by 2020, and over 40 per cent by 2030.

Norway currently operates 87 fields, with production planned until at least 2070. The country's production is slated to hit a record high in 2023.

In an unexpected turn of events, Norway has recently claimed that its new huge oil facility is good for the environment. The Johan Sverdrup field was opened by the Norwegian prime minister last week.

In an unexpected turn of events, Norway has recently claimed that its new huge oil facility is good for the environment. The Johan Sverdrup field was opened by the Norwegian prime minister last week. The authorities claim that the facility will ''reduce emissions'' as it operates solely on renewable energy. "Johan Sverdrup is now open. That's good news for our investors, for Norway, and for emissions," announced Equinor, the state company with jurisdiction over the field. Also read: Climate change caused 15 disasters costing over $1 billion this year Many critics, however, perceive the third-largest oil field in Norway as a signifier of the country's hypocrisy when it comes to climate change. The expansive field is situated 140 kilometres away from the coast and was named after the country's first prime minister. The fields boasts 2.7 billion barrels of oil, which could last for over half a century, and could bring more than $100m into the country. CNN reported that the operation runs on hydroelectric power, generated from the ocean. This is a first, for most oil fields employ diesel generators to fulfill their needs. Norway has been at the helm of positive climate change. It was not only the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement, but has continuously reinstated its faith in achieving the climate-neutral status by 2030. Image: A worker at an oil field owned by Bashneft, Bashkortostan, Russia, January 28, 2015 | Reuters The country also offers electric cars at a subsidised rate, with a fully enforced ban on deforestation. "Norway has a schizophrenic relationship with climate and oil and gas," Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen, CEO of the Norwegian Climate Foundation think tank, told CNN. Besides all this action to battle and limit climate change, Norway continues to be a major fossil fuel producer. Pumping out over two million barrels of oil a day, Norway is Europes's second-biggest producer after Russia, as per the figures provided by the International Energy Agency. Norway's natural gas production is also way more than any other European country. "We are great at adopting ambitious emission targets, but at the same time we plan for oil and gas production for decades to come", Michelsen added in conversation with CNN. Over the last few decades, Norway has invested heavily in renewable energy, especially hydropower. Much of its clean energy is used to sustain the country, while pollution-causing oil and gas are sold to foreign players. The parent company of the field is hell-bent on asserting the efficiency of the field. "Average CO2 emissions from international fields are 25 times higher, (with) 18 kg CO2 emitted per barrel produced versus 0.67 kg CO2 emitted per barrel produced from Sverdrup," Equinor spokesperson Morten Eek told CNN. Image: Climate change activists take part in a demonstration of the Fridays for Future movement in Lausanne, Switzerland January 17, 2020 | Reuters However, Michelsen told CNN that this is barely sufficient in the longer run. He said that emissions from production account for only five per cent of global oil emissions. "The big problem is the combustion, in sectors like transport and industry," he said. Also read: Denmark, Sweden, Norway are world's best countries to raise children; India bags 59th spot For a better understanding, emissions within Norway accounted for 53 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2017, while emissions caused by Norwegian oil and gas exports caused 470 million tonnes of emissions, as per data in the United Nations' Emission Gap Report. Besides planning to become climate neutral by 2030, Norway also intends to become a low-emission society by 2050. Almost 30 per cent reduction in emissions can be expected by 2020, and over 40 per cent by 2030. Norway currently operates 87 fields, with production planned until at least 2070. The country's production is slated to hit a record high in 2023.

New oil facility will 'reduce emissions', says Norway; gets labelled hypocrite

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